People with vertigo may have sudden sensations of spinning or whirling motion that may be accompanied by lightheadedness and loss of balance, and less often by sweating, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. I see it often in my patients and it is debilitating.

What Causes Vertigo?

Vertigo is most commonly caused by a problem with the balancing mechanism in the middle ear. This is a coiled tube of fluid that lies behind the eardrum called the labyrinth. Viral infections such as a common cold or flu can spread to the labyrinth (labyrinthitis). Less commonly, labyrinthitis is caused by a bacterial infection of the middle ear (otitis media).

Short but recurrent attacks of vertigo are often caused by benign positional vertigo. This type of vertigo may also follow a viral infection, or can develop following inflammation or damage to the middle ear. It commonly affects older people, and can be brought on by a sudden movement of the head, such as turning rapidly.

The most common form of vertigo is benign positional paroxysmal vertigo (BPPV), in which brief attacks are brought on by certain changes in head position

Possible Causes:

Vertigo is felt to be caused by a viral infection of the balance nerve that runs from the inner ear to the brain.

Drug reactions

Head injury

Arthritis in the neck -

Poor circulation - may lead to vertigo if insufficient blood reaches the part of the brain that controls balance.

May be associated with impaired glucose metabolism/high triglyceridesVertigo may also be associated with:Sinusitis

Migraine headaches

Hypothyroidism

Diabetes

Panic attacks

Food allergiesOther Considerations in Vertigo Treatment

Trigger Points in Neck Muscles

Trigger points are thought by most authorities to potentially cause pain and abnormal function in other parts of the body including vertigo symptoms. Also known as myofascial pain dysfunction (MPD), this condition, when it affects certain muscles of the head and neck, has been associated with vertigo

Certain chronic or repetitive body positions may produce painful nodules, called trigger points, in the muscles of the head and neck, which can lead to dizziness and possibly vertigo.

These positions include forward bending of the neck as when sleeping on two pillows, backward neck bending as when painting a ceiling, and turning the neck to one side as in some reading positions. Trigger points appear to develop as the result of injury, poor posture, structural abnormalities of the leg or pelvis, emotional tension, and other body stressors.

Chiropractors and other practitioners can often treat MPD with a variety of natural therapies, including deep pressure massage and chiropractic adjustments.

Natural Alternative Approach

B6Two preliminary human studies reported that vitamin B6 supplementation reduced symptoms of vertigo produced with drugs in a laboratory setting.23 Vitamin B6 supplementation has not been studied in BPPV or other forms of vertigo and may not share the same causative mechanism as experimentally induced vertigo.

Ginkgo bilobaIn a preliminary clinical trial, Ginkgo biloba (GBE) significantly reduced symptoms of vertigo in a group of elderly people with mild cognitive impairment.Participants were given 40 mg three times per day for one year. GBE has also been reported to significantly reduce vertigo of unknown cause in preliminary25 and double-blind trials. The amounts given were 120 mg and 160 mg per day, respectively, for three months.

GingerGinger (Zingiber officinale) root in a single application has been reported to significantly reduce symptoms of vertigo in one double-blind trial.

While vestibular rehabilitation exercises may be done at home, initial guidance by a qualified practitioner is necessary.

The Particle Repositioning Maneuver Technique

Vertigo appears to be caused by an accumulation of free-floating cell fragments in the fluid of the inner ear

Certain manipulation therapy maneuvers, referred to as particle repositioning maneuvers (PRMs), are intended to relocate this debris to a harmless location, in order to improve symptoms.

Most studies report that over 90% of people with BPPV treated one or two times with PRM respond to this treatment, although up to 45% may develop BPPV again within a few years, requiring further treatments.

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Dr. Kim Maziarz Carlucci, DC

I have been a chiropractor for since 1996 but an athlete since I played baseball with the boys in the early pee wee leagues. I continued with sports throughout my high school career: softball, basketball, skiing and competitive horseback riding. In chiropractic school I was introduced to functional exercise and structural rehabilitation and continue to do this type of exercise to this day with great success. I have now been trained in Functional Medicine. Functional medicine addresses the underlying causes of disease, using a systems-oriented approach and engaging both patient and practitioner in a therapeutic partnership. It is an evolution in the practice of medicine that better addresses the healthcare needs of the 21st century. By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach, functional medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms. Functional medicine practitioners spend time with their patients, listening to their histories and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease. In this way, functional medicine supports the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual.